Signal system for railroads



Nov. 29, 1927.

H. B. WORSTER SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Jan.l8: 1926 ov. as, rear,

its 7 Patented HAROLD B1 wonsrnn', or KEoKnK, Iowa, as reaoa crown-HALF To onannnon ROY ram/Ina, or section, Iowa.

SIGNAL s-Yermvr non narnnjonns.

Application filed J'a'nua ry 18, 1926. Serial No. 81,977.

This invention relates to improvements in signal systems for railroads, and is designed to be used in connection with a CllSPZLtChGTrJ telephone system, whiclris now in common use, and which provides for placing a number of telephones along the railroad at various places, such as at the telegraph olfices, blind sidings, telephone poles or wind breaks, these telephones being under-the control of the train dispatcher in such a manner that he may ring any one of a number of such telephones at his will. This present system works all right whenthere is any one located at the telephone so the ring can beheard, but it is otten desirable, to get in touch with a train at other times than those when the train is at the station or open otlice It is the object of my invention to provide a signal system whichmay be used in con nection with these telephones in such a manner that when anyone of the telephones is rung, a predetermined number of signals will be automatically displayed at such posit-ions along the side of therailroad that the engineers or conductors attention will be called to the fact that they are wanted on the near by telephone, at which time the train may be stopped and the telephone answered, thereby bringing the dispatcher in touch with the train. It is most desirable that these signal systems be placed near blind sidings or oflices.

A further object is to provide a signal My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination of thevarious parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved signal mechanism, one end being re- The 1 moved, showing the manner in which it is applied to a dispatchers telephone.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatical view showing one method of installing my improved system;

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I h'aveused therefereilce numeral 10 to in dicate the dispatchers telephone cabinet,- which is provided with a receiver hook ll pivotally mounted in theusual manner, and designed to carry a receiver1'2, said hookbeing moved" by the weight of the receiver to its lower limit of movement. The unmeral 13 indicates the binding post connected with the bell'operating mechanism;

My improved mechanism comprises a casing 14 in which is mounted a solenoid ll" having conductor wires 16 which are con n'ected to the binding posts 13 of the" telephone at the same point where an extension telephone would be connected. mounted above theupper end of the solenoid l5'isan armature 17, the movement of which may be limited by means of set screws 1'8. The free end of the'armature 17 is provided with a spring '19 having a contact member 20 designed to coact witlr the contact mem ber 21 rigidly secured to the casing 14. The spring 19 has at its inner end a binding post 22. A conductor wire 23 is secured to the binding post'22, while a conductor wire 24 is secured to the contact member 21. The said conductor wire 23 includes an electric battery 25. The conductors 23 and 24' have connected in parallel therewith a series of signal devices 26' which may be located alongside a railroad in the manner herein after more fully set forth.

Secured to one side of the casing 14 is a second solenoid 27 having" a vertically ar- "ranged and pivoted armature 28, the movement of said arinature being limited by means of adjusting screws 29; The lower end oisaid armature is designed to rest normally adjacent to the free endqof the armature 17 in the manner clearly shown in Figure 1'.- The solenoid 27 is provided with conductor wires 30 and 31, the wire 31 including an electric battery 32, and the wire 30 terminating in a contact member 33 secured to either the inner or outer surface of the casinglO of the dispatchers telephone. Said contact is so arranged that when the receiver 12 is removed from the hook 11,

Pivotally the arm of the said receiver hook will be elevated and make engagement with said contact member 33. The free end of the wire 31 is connected with said receiver arm, thereby establishing a current through the solenoid 27 when the said receiver arm 11 is at its elevated position of movement 111 Figure 2 I have illustrated a railroad, designated by the numeral 34, which is provided with a series of sidings 35, 36 and 37. Opposite each of the said sidings is a dispatchers telephone, designated by the numeral 38, 39 and '10. A telephone 41 is located in the dispatchers oflice. These telephones are all connected in the usual man nor, the connections from each telephone being indicated by the nume 'al 42. The dispatchers telephone system is so arranged that he may ring the bell of either of the telephones 38, 39 and 40. The signal lights 26 are arranged preferably in groups of three with one at each end of the switch, and another opposite the center of said siding.

The signal lights at the ends of the sidings may be located at any desired distance from the said sidings, preferably about a quarter of a mile.

The practical operation of my device is as follows:

Assuming that the dispatcher Wishes to get in touch with a train entering the siding 35, then the bell of the phone 38 is rung, which will cause a ringing current to be passed through the solenoid 15 and through the conductors 16, which in turn will cause the armature 17 to be lowered and the contact 20 to be brought into engagement with the contact 21, establishing a current through the signal lights 26. The lower end of the armature 28 will then be moved into position above the inner end of the armature 17 through the action of the spring 43, and thereby lock the armature 17 at its lower limit of movement and establish the circuit through the signal devices 26. As the train approaches the siding 35, the conductors attention will be called to the fact that he is wanted on the telephone, through the signals 26, after which he will go to the telephone. 33, elevate the receiver 12, causing the lever 11 to be elevated and make contact with the member 33, which will establish an electric circuit through the solenoid 27, causing the lower end of the armature 28 to be moved" inwardly and to disengage the armature 17, the inner end of which will then be elevated by means of the spring 4-4, and the contacts 20 and 21 disengaged and the signals 26 automatically turned off. At the same time the conductor operates the telephone in the usual manner to receive the dispatchers orders, after which the receiver 12 is again placed on the hook 11 and the current through the solenoid 27 disconnected, permitting the lower end of the armature 28 to again rest against the inner end of the armature 17. The telephones 39 and 10 may be operated in a similar manner when so desired by the dispatcher.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a signal system of simple, durable and inex pensive construction, which may be easily and quickly applied to the dispatchers telephones without having to run any additional wires between the dispatchefis oilice and the stations, and at the same time provides means whereby when a ringing current is tablished in any one of the telephones, a signal will be established near the adjoining siding, so that the conductor of the train will know that he is wanted on the telephone, and provides means in connection therewith whereby the signal may be automatically turned oil as soon as the telephone has been answered, thereby providing means whereby the ellieiency of the operation of the railroad will be increased as well as increasing the safety of the operation of the railroad with relation to human lives.

I claim as my invention:

In con'ibination, a dispatchers telephone having a movable receiver book, a contact member designed to be engaged by said receiver hook as it is moved to its upper limit of movement, an electric solenoid connected in the ringing circuit of said telephone, an armature designed to be actuated by said solenoid, an electrically operated signal device including an electric circuit, said circuit including a switch device actuated by the movement of said armature, a second electric solenoid, an electric circuit for said second solenoid including said receiver hook and its coact-ing contact member, a pivoted armature for said second solenoid designed to automatically lock the lirst said armature with its switch device in a closed position on establishing a ringing circuit in said lllt'" phone, and to establish a signal through said signal device, said second armature being adapted to be disengaged from the lirst said armature upon moven'icnt of said receiver hook to permit said first armature to be moved to its normal position and t e meeting switch member opened, substantially as described and for the purposes stated. 

